Elizabeth Bondurant became Plainsboro Township’s first female police chief on March 1. Over 100 guests stood and cheered as she was sworn in officially on March 14. The changing of the guard, however, did not bring with it a change in circumstances for the department that has been plagued by infighting for years. ##M:[more]##
For the fourth time in six months, a letter alleging misconduct within the department was sent to local media. This time, Lieutenant William Kugel, a veteran in the department, has been accused of abusing police power and attempting to interfere with the legal process following the arrest of an 18-year-old intern for the police department.
High School South senior John Shaughnessy was arrested by Corporal Scott Seitz on February 11 for being in possession of what the letter described as “a very large knife.” The charge against Shaughnessy was downgraded to be classified as a violation of a township ordinance. Bondurant said the ruling is consistent with the treatment that would be given any first-time offender.
The press release describing the incident was never sent to The News. “[Lieutenant Kugel] made at least one attempt to dispose of the press release and may have in fact prevented the release from reaching the papers,” said the letter.
“I don’t know what happened to the press release. It is a fact that it wasn’t sent out and I’m not denying that. We are normally very prompt in sending out information,” said Bondurant. “We are going to investigate that.”
The complaint had not been filed within the department in any official capacity. Kugel and Bondurant said they first became aware of the accusations when The News informed them of the letter. Seitz did not return requests for comments on the matter.
“Some of it is true and some of it isn’t,” said Kugel, who denied any wrongdoing. “I’ve never been the subject of an anonymous complaint before. I wasn’t aware of this.”
Bondurant said the department will begin an investigation based on the letter. “Now that you’ve given me this letter we’re going to investigate the matter. There are avenues within the department they can pursue. If someone has a problem we investigate all complaints,” said Bondurant.
Bondurant said the frequency of letters is due to the attention the authors believe their complaint will be given when printed in the newspaper. “I don’t know who the author is. That speaks volumes in itself. Sending an anonymous letter serves no purpose other than to embarrass the department, embarrass Lieutenant Kugel, and embarrass the student.”
Shaughnessy, a star player on the Pirate hockey team (and no relation to this reporter), became an intern for the department through the high school’s senior option program. The course allows seniors who have achieved good grades throughout their first three years to earn school credits by working for a company in the afternoons of their final semester. Bondurant confirmed that he is still an intern for the department, and said he has received no special treatment as a result of his work at the department. The letter says Shaughnessy “was under Lt. William Kugel’s supervision and is the son of a personal friend of Kugel. Mr. Shaughnessy [the intern’s father] is a retired Secret Service agent and future prospective employer of Lt. Kugel.”
Neither the letter nor any parties involved commented on the Kugel’s alleged relationship with John Shaughnessy Sr. “Jack Shaughnessy was involved with the department when Vice President Cheney came to visit. He was in charge of Mr. Cheney’s security detail and Lt. Kugel was in charge of the detail with our department,” said Bondurant.
The letter alleges that Kugel asked municipal judge Edward Herman to dismiss the case, a statement that Herman says is untrue. “It wouldn’t happen like that. None of the police officers would do that,” said Herman.
Herman did not recall the specific case, but said that it would be normal for an arrest of that type to be downgraded to a township ordinance. “In the case of a first offense, we try to give the person a break.”
